The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-04-14
THE FIRST EASTER.

From a marvellous and most interesting
book called "The Spirit of the New Testa-
ment," we take the following description OF
the first Easter that dawned upon the world:
That strange power was at work, even
in the darkness of Calvary, is shown by the
events which caused even a superstltious feel
ing to seize on many of the Jews The
Roman centurion himself had been strongly
impressed with the strange man whose ma
jesty of spirit was something more than
philosophers had ever realized. And there
was reactionaTy sentiment among the
crowd, who returned home whispering to
each other with feeling of self reproach.
Only the priests failed to interpret this voice
less language. They were satisfied. But for
them the future finished what the present had
begun Failure and defeat are written on
the lives of those who make themselves
strongholds of opposition to work conse-
Grated to humanity on which alone is or can
be inscribed the word victory. Judas had
died bv his own hand; Herod's ambition was
frustrated by exile; PLATE was disgraced and
banished; Caiphas was removed from the I'M
perial office of high priest, and Annas was
finally murdered by mob in Jerusalem
And many of those who insulted and sought
to humiliate Jesus, even in his depth of affiic
ton, suffered themselves at the hands of the
very power into which they had eagerly de-
Iivered him. Moreover, even the cross,
strange to relate, had been the ancient and
sacred symbol of life throughout all nations.
There is an avenging angel which follows
men in the results of their own evil deeds.
The Sabbath of the Passover, the great
festival, was at hand, and the thoughts OF
those at Jerusalem were speedily turned to
other themes, and the events connected
with their own lives. Before it dawned
the body of Jesus, escertained to be lifeless by
the Roman guard, was delivered by the con-
sent of Plate to Joseph of Arimathea. This
man, who was not only wealthy, but men,
Der of the sanhedrim, had never given his
consent to the extreme measures of the coun-
Gil, and was influenced by the great band of
guardian spirits which had surrounded Jesus
to devote tomb, hewn in the rock. to the
burial of the body. 1t was new, it had never
been suilied by the influence of corruption,
and it was necessary for the work to be out
wrought within its still and silent chamber.
Wrapped in a clean cloth, and surrounded
with fragrant spices, the body of the cruclfled
was speedily deposited within the rock
and the mouth was closed by well fitting
stone. Two women, who had shed many
bitter tears, found a momentary consolation
in witnessing that at all events the burial of
the man they loved had received some honor.
The site of the true place of burial is, of
course, entirely unknown, but over the sup
posed spot now rises the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre. Some of the priests went to Plate
and had private interview with him.
awe request" said they THAT a guard
shall be sent down to this tomb until an inter
val of three days has elapsed, for if you re-
member, that imposter said he should rise
again, and in order to prevent his followers
deceiving the people and stealing the body,
which would be more disastrous than ever,
we wish to have the place watched"
PLATE rejoined that they could do just as
they pleased; so, accompanied by some sol
diers, these keen willed persons, ready for all
emergencies, and competent to regulate the
universe itself, repaired II Joseph's garden
sealed the stone at the mouth OF the tomb
and appointed watch to remain by its side
We are well aware that the modern schoo
of critics has expended endless energy upor
the slight apparent discrepancies which
they represent, completely invalidate the evi
dence in behalf of what is popularity knowr
as e the resurrection" We may boldly say
that if the real conditions under which tht
ancient records were written were known
they would create astonishment at the accu
racy with which the main facts are told The
discrepancies of detail are precisely such a!
occur every day in the relation of any par
ticular fact. Some viii omit this detail; 9th
I ers will add that. All may be correct, anc
: the central reality stands out clear in ttt
! midst
! And now we come to the consummation O.
1 the mission of Christ. His birth was spirit
ua1 and his organization revealed its higher
4 law; all through his life he had been mani
! Testing the gifts and powers of a spiritual type
of humanity, and dealing on all sides deatl
blows to materialism in every form; and il
! his death, so far as it could be death, was per
nlitted in order that it should Illustrate, fol
all time, the sublime fact that the spiritua
man can escape the disintegration of th'
body.
i After such a fearful ordeal as c,ucifixion
the spirit of Jesus had recoiled from the eartl
sphere, and passed into the world unseen o
mortal eyes, but his body, wonderfully spirit
ualized, both in its original nature and b,
! waves of triumphant suffering, had vita
clements in every particle, and in the dark
ness and still repose of the intended grave, j
lay, not as a corpse, but as deposit of ply
!. sical elements sufficient to render the spirit O
Christ visible ON his return. = What was M
longer necessary to him was dissipated in tn
atmosphere, and the remainder absorbed il
his spiritualized body. 1t was the demonstra
tion Of higher law of Immortality; and j
had never before been revealed to the world.